Hose-protector attachment for shoes



Feb. 6, 1923.

11,444,166 0. M. COLEMAN. v

HosE PRmEcToR ATTACHMENT FOR SHoEs.

FILED MAR. 24, 1922' wuv n oz UWQM f7. (comma Patented Feb. 6, 1923..

FATEN HOSE-PROTECTOR ATTACHMENT FOR SHOES.

Application filed March 24, 1922. Serial No. 546397.

To all whom it may concern Be it known that I, CLIFFORD MARTIN COLEMAN, a citizen of the United States, residing at the city and county of Denver and State of Colorado, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Hose-Protector Attachments for Shoes; and I do declare the following to be a full, clear, and exact description of the invention, such as will enable others skilled in the art to which it appcrtains to make and use the same, reference being had to the accompanying drawings, and to the characters of reference marked thereon, which form a part of this specification.

This invention relates to a device ,that can be attached to the inside of a shoe near the heel thereof, for the purpose of preventing excessive wear of the stockings.

It is well known that low shoes of the type so extensively worn today, cause the heel part of the stockings to wear out very fast. It is nothing unusual to have a hole in a stocking after one or two days wear. The excessive wear referred to is due to the relative movement of the shoe and stocking, caused by the tendency of the heel of the foot to slide upwardly with respect to the I shoe as the weight of the body rests on the ball of the foot just before the foot is moved forwardly for a new step. When the foot is again planted on the ground or sidewalk the heel slides downwardly until the sole of the foot rests solidly on the bottom of the shoe.

It is the object of this invention to provide a simple, cheap and effective means which can be quickly and easily attached to a shoe, and which will prevent the constant rubbing of the material of the stocking 4o against the inside of the shoe and thus prevent the wear referred to.

It is also my object to provide a means that will give a sense of added comfort to the wearer, and to prevent the foot from being made sore or blistered, which is such a common occurrence when new shoes are first worn.

In order to more clearly describe my invention, I shall have reference to the acso companying drawing in which Fig. 1 is a view of a shoe to which my invention has been attached.

Fig. 2 is a view of my protector showing the front side thereof.

Fig. 3 is a View similar to that of Fig. 2, but showing the rear side of the protector; and

Fig. 41- is a longitudinal section of a portion of a shoe showing my protector attached thereto.

The same reference numbers will be employed to designate the same parts through out the several views.

Numeral 1 represents a low shoe of ordinary type which is usually provided with ah ankle strap 2, and 3 represents my hose protector attachment which has been secured in place in the heel portion thereof.

My protector is preferably made of a piece of wool felt of considerable thickness, one-eighth of an inch being considered about the proper thickness to be employed, although the thickness is more or less a matter of choice. The felt is cut by suitable means into the shape shown in Figs. 2 and 3, the lower edge being made straight and adapted to make contact with the inside of the shoe. The upper edge 5 is somewhat rounded so that it will substantially fit the upper edge of the shoe (Figs. 1 and 4). The sides joining the bottom edge 4: to the top 5 are curved in such a way that rounded corners 6 are provided near the top of the piece. A number of holes 7 are punched in the pad so as to provide ventilation.

In order to conveniently attach the pad or protector 3 to the inside of the shoe, I secure thereto a piece of adhesive tape 8 (Fig. 3); this tape is so out that it has a pair of upwardly extending arms 9 which follow substantially the sides of the protector. The adhesive tape may be secured to the protector by means of glue, and has its sticky surface turned outward. By merely placing the protector in the place which it is to occupy and then exerting a slight pressure thereon, the sticky surface of the tape will engage the inside of the shoe and hold it securely in place.

Inshipping, the tacky surface of the tape is covered with a piece of cheese cloth, which can be stripped oif just before the protector is put into place.

It will be noticed that the protector is secured to the shoe along its bottom and sides only, having its central portion thereof free. As the felt of which the protector is preferably made is of a loose structure and yieldable, that portion which is not directly held in place by the tape may move with respect to the shoe to a limited extent. The felt surface in contact with the stocking tends to stick to the material of the stocking, so that there will be no relative movement between the two, with the result that there will be little, if any, wear of the stocking. The yielding character of the felt and the manner of attaching it to the shoe allows a slight movement thereof with respect to the shoe, which permits the parts to make minor adjust-merits which result in more comfortable relative arrangement of parts. The ends 6 tend to grip the sides of the tendon and tohold the shoe steady on the foot and to. hold it securely thereon, which is of importance where the ankle straps 2 are not used.

Although I have described my protector as being made of wool felt, it may, of course, be made of other material such as a thick cloth or several layers of cloth sewed together around the edges. I prefer, however, to make them of felt and consider this the best material for the purpose. The adhesive tape may be dispensed with and glue applied directly to the edges of the protector, just previous to its being put in place in the shoe, but the tape as described simplifies the matter of attaching it to the shoe.

It has been demonstrated by a series of experiments that my protector effects a great saving in stockings, and a single pair of silk stockings have been worn for sixty days before any hole appeared in the heel. The perforations 7 of the pad, in addition to serving the purpose of ventilation, also cause a slight suction between the hosev of the wearer and the pad, thus causing the heel and pad to move up and down together during the slight up and down movement resulting from walking. This is considered quite an important feature.

Attention is called to the fact that these attachments may be made in colors corresponding with the colors of the various shoes with which they are to be used.

Having now described my invention, what I claim is 1. As an article of manufacture, ameniber of yielding fibrous material adapted to be secured to the inside of the heel portion of a shoe, said member being provided with adhesive means along the bottom and side edges thereof only'whereby it may be secured to the inner surface of the shoe.

2. As an article of manufacture, a member of yielding fibrous material having four sides and adapted to be secured to the inside of the heel portion of a shoe, said member having a strip of adhesive material secured along three of its four sides whereby it may be attached to the inner surface of the shoe along these three sides only.

3. An article of manufacture consisting of a member of yieldable felt adapted to be secured to the inside of the heel portion of a shoe and having a. bottom, a top, and two sides, and means whereby it may be secured to the shoe for a short distance from the bottom and side edges only, whereby the central portion will be free to have a limited movement with respect to the shoe.

In testimony whereof I aflix my signature.

onrrronn MARTIN COLEMAN. 

